The invention is directed to an apparatus for transporting and delivering individual sheets within a final processing unit downstream from a printing or copying unit.
European Patent Application 0 490 216 has disclosed an electrophotographic printing or copying unit into whose paper transport conduit. Individual sheets can be conveyed laterally at a 90xc2x0 angle. The delivery regions have openings with associated orientation paddles. Following delivery of the individual sheets into the delivery regions, they are grasped by paper transport rollers and conveyed to the paper transport conduit. It Is possible with this apparatus to convey individual sheets in temporally serial fashion to a copying unit that is designed for parallel processing of individual sheets in a paper transport conduit.
It is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus with which individual sheets output from a printing or copying unit can, in a final processing unit, reliably be positionally oriented, transported, stacked with aligned edges, stapled if necessary, and delivered in job-sorted fashion into deliver containers. It is intended in this context for the sheet transport path to be as short as possible, and the space requirement for the apparatus to be as small as possible.
It is intended in this context for the sheet transport path to be as short as possible, and the space requirement for the apparatus to be as small as possible.
According to the present invention, this is achieved by the fact that in the final processing unit, an input roller pair is followed by a sheet transport track having a stop surface for lateral registration of the sheets passing through; that a working delivery surface having a stop surface for end-surface registration of the sheets is arranged at the end of the sheet transport track; and that a final delivery container, arranged after the working delivery surface, for the individual sheets of sheet stacks extends at a 90xc2x0 angle to the sheet transport track. Advantageously, the sheet transport track is arranged between the input roller pair and the working delivery surface, and slopes downward toward the final deliver container. With the apparatus according to the present invention, the individual sheets can be conveyed quickly and in positionally oriented fashion to a final processing station, and there can be stacked with aligned edges. delivery surface having a stop surface for end-surface registration of the sheets is arranged at the end of the sheet transport track; and that a final delivery container, arranged after the working delivery surface, for the individual sheets or sheet stacks extends at a 90xc2x0 angle to the sheet transport track.
Advantageously, the sheet transport track is arranged between the input roller pair and the working delivery surface, and slopes downward toward the final delivery container.
With the apparatus: according to the present invention, the individual sheets can be conveyed quickly and in positionally oriented fashion to a final processing station, and there can be stacked with aligned edges.
Specifically, the subject matter of the invention is configured so that the support surface of the sheet transport track is of undulating configuration in the transport direction; and that at least one registration means is provided. As a result of this configuration, the individual sheet is deflected in its transport direction and is stabilized in the direction toward the stop surface of the lateral registration system. Positionally oriented transport of the individual sheet is thereby substantially improved.
As a result of this feature, the individual sheet is deflected in its transport direction and is stabilized in the direction toward the stop surface of the lateral registration system. Positionally oriented transport of the individual sheet is thereby substantially improved.
Also greatly advantageous in terms of saving space is the fact that the working delivery surface is substantially narrower in the direction transverse to the sheet transport direction that the width of the incoming sheets or of the sheet stacks; and that a registration system is provided in the region of the working delivery surface. In this simple manner, only the portion of the sheets or of the sheet stack necessary for stapling is present on the working delivery surface, while the remaining portion already projects into the final delivery container. As a result, the displacement path of the sheets or of the stack until ultimate delivery in the final delivery container is substantially shortened.
In this simple manner, only the portion of the sheets or of the sheet stack necessary for stapling is present on the working delivery surface, while the remaining portion already projects into the final delivery container. As a result, the displacement path of the sheets or of the sheet stack until ultimate delivery in the final delivery container is substantially shortened.
The invention, and its objects and advantages, will become more apparent in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment presented below.